One of Peter the Great’s crowning achievements (thanks to the blood, sweat and tears of Russian peasants) is his 1703-founded city of Saint Petersburg. The shining, Westernized beacon served as Russia’s imperial capital from 1732 to 1918, when it was overthrown by the Bolsheviks. Today, the city is home to around five million people, international corporations and some of the finest cultural activities that Russia has to offer.